PRESS RELEASE
Sources:Tokyo Institute of Technology
ANA Holdings Inc. (ANA Group)
For immediate release: October 12, 2022
Event Announcement:
Pilgrimage × Robot 2022 (Tokyo Tech×ANA Project）
Conducted our tour in Mt. Koya, “Pilgrimage × Robot 2022” (Tokyo Tech × ANA Project),and explored the possibilities of a new walking tour based on the concept of apilgrimage meeting robotics.

Tokyo Institute of Technology (hereinafter Tokyo Tech) and ANA Holdings Inc. (hereinafter“ANA Group”) are exploring the possibility of a "new walking journey" created from the fusionof the ideas of “pilgrimage” and “robot.” We are inspired by the Buddhist phrase “DogyoNinin”, the idea that the spirit of the ninth-century monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder ofShingon Buddhism, journeys alongside pilgrims to protect them. We are rethinking the ideaof a walking journey from the perspective of “well-being,” a realignment not just of the own
body, but, through synchronizing pace with the robot as a Kobo Daishi, the spirit as well, todevelop and test the walking support robot to assist in this process.
In 2021, we conducted a field test in Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture, for a walking

pilgrimage of the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, and in 2022, based on the results of thistest, we conducted a PoC (Proof of Concept) for a “new walking journey” through a monitor
tour at the sacred Buddhist site of Mt. Koya (Koyasan). We visited the 88 temples to pray inthe Osunafumi event held at Haneda Airport from September 30 to October 7, and thenvisited Mt. Koya on October 12 as a thank-you visit. Six participants walked 500m wearing
the exoskeleton robot on the path to the two sacred sites on Mt. Koya, the central temple
complex of Danjo Garan and Oku-no-in, Kukai’s mausoleum. We evaluated the effectivenessof the walking journey in terms of well-being. As a result, we confirmed that the participants'
walking ability, such as walking speed and stride length, improved. Moreover, we discoveredthat walking with the robot could have a positive effect not only on the body but also on the"mind." Participants commented that they "felt a sense of togetherness" and "felt included"
by walking in synchrony with the robot.
The walking support robot used in this project is the "Walk-Mate" developed by Miyake
Laboratory of Tokyo Tech (in collaboration with Walk-Mate Lab, a Tokyo Tech venture). WalkMate is a wearable robot that supplements human power in accordance with your walking
rhythm, as if there were a person walking with you. This system is a realization of the conceptof “Dogyo-Ninin" through modern science and technology, and has already been used in
medical fields such as gait training. This project aims to explore the possibility of creating anew travel style through “Pilgrimage x Robot," as well as to support the revitalization of rural
areas and to increase the mobile population following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please see below for photos and videos of the demonstration experiment.
(Available for viewing until December 31, 2022)
https://tokyotech.box.com/s/kkqwwn9g2rl8p8s0p6mxy7wphe3tjwbr
Event details
Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2022 A tour in Mt.Koya, Wakayama pref.
Organizer: Tokyo Institute of Technology x ANA
Contact information
Professor Yoshihiro MIYAKE
Department of Computer Science
Tokyo Institute of Technology
miyake@c.titech.ac.jp

ANA Strategic Research Institute Chair ResearcherTakashi Morit.mori@ana.co.jp
Public Relations DivisionTokyo Institute of Technology
media@jim.titech.ac.jp+81-3-5734-2975
ANA Holdings Corporate Communications
publicrelations@ana.co.jp
TEL: +81-3-6735-1111
About Tokyo Institute of Technology
Tokyo Tech stands at the forefront of research and higher education as the leading university
for science and technology in Japan. Tokyo Tech researchers excel in fields ranging frommaterials science to biology, computer science, and physics. Founded in 1881, Tokyo Techhosts over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students per year, who develop into scientificleaders and some of the most sought-after engineers in industry. Embodying the Japanesephilosophy of “monotsukuri,” meaning “technical ingenuity and innovation,” the Tokyo Techcommunity strives to contribute to society through high-impact research.
https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/
About ANA HOLDINGSFounded in 1952 with just two helicopters, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has grown to become
the largest airline in Japan. ANA HOLDINGS Inc. (ANA HD) was established in 2013 as thelargest airline group holding company in Japan, comprising 70 companies including ANA andPeach Aviation, the leading LCC in Japan.
ANA is a launch customer and the largest operator of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, making
ANA HD the biggest Dreamliner owner in the world. A member of Star Alliance since 1999,
ANA has joint venture agreements with United Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Swiss
International Airlines and Austrian Airlines - giving it a truly global presence.
The airline's legacy of superior service has helped it earn SKYTRAX's respected 5-Star rating
every year since 2013, with ANA being the only Japanese airline to win this prestigious
designation for nine consecutive years. ANA also has been recognized by Air Transport World
as "Airline of the Year" three times (2007, 2013 and 2018); it is one of only a select few

airlines to win this prominent award multiple times.
In 2021, ANA was awarded the 5-star COVID-19 safety rating by SKYTRAX, recognizing theairline's initiatives to provide a safe, clean and hygienic environment at airports and aboard
aircraft, embodied in the ANA Care Promise.
ANA is the only company in the aviation industry to receive the Gold Class distinction fromthe 2022 S&P Global Sustainability Awards and ANA HD has been selected as a member ofthe Dow Jones Sustainability World Index list for the fifth consecutive year and the Dow Jones
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